Why Water Industry Must Boost Its Cybersecurity Maturity Amidst Growing Attacks on Critical Infrastructure – Femi Osasona

By Tosin Clegg

In an era where cyber threats are escalating at an unprecedented rate, the water industry stands at a precarious intersection of vulnerability and necessity. As recent global incidents have shown, critical infrastructure, particularly water and wastewater systems, is increasingly in the crosshairs of cybercriminals, hacktivists, and even nation-state actors. Yet, cybersecurity maturity within the water sector remains uneven, underfunded, and often undervalued. This must change.

The Threat Landscape is Evolving
Water utilities have become attractive targets for cyberattacks due to their essential role in public health and environmental protection. High-profile incidents, such as the attempted poisoning of a Florida water treatment plant in 2021, underscore the tangible risks posed by even basic security lapses.

In May 2024, a ransomware attack on a major water supplier in the United Kingdom disrupted services to over 300,000 residents and forced emergency response protocols. Similarly, in January 2024, the Iranian gas distribution network was temporarily shut down due to coordinated cyber intrusions that compromised industrial control systems. In late 2023, the Clorox Company in the U.S. experienced significant disruption due to a cyberattack that affected its operational technology, highlighting vulnerabilities in the supply chain connected to water and sanitation products.

These attacks are no longer isolated events. According to recent data from global threat intelligence firms, the number of cyber incidents targeting critical infrastructure has grown by over 300% in the past five years. This includes ransomware attacks that have crippled operations, phishing campaigns aimed at accessing SCADA systems, and vulnerabilities in outdated industrial control systems.

Unique Challenges Facing the Water Sector

Unlike industries with well-established cybersecurity frameworks, many water utilities face significant challenges:

• Fragmented Ownership and Governance: With thousands of publicly and privately operated entities, there is no unified cybersecurity standard across the sector.
• Aging Infrastructure: Legacy systems were not designed with cyber resilience in mind, making them easy targets for attackers.
• Limited Budgets and Resources: Smaller water utilities often lack dedicated IT security teams or the funding to invest in robust cybersecurity measures.
• Low Awareness and Cultural Resistance: In many cases, cybersecurity is still viewed as a secondary concern compared to operational continuity.

The Case for Accelerated Cybersecurity Maturity
Boosting cybersecurity maturity is not just a technological imperative; it is a public safety obligation. A successful cyberattack on a water utility could lead to contaminated drinking water, service disruptions, or even physical harm to populations.

To prevent such outcomes, water companies must:

1. Adopt Industry-Wide Cybersecurity Standards: There needs to be alignment on frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework or ISO/IEC 27001.
2. Invest in Cyber Risk Assessments: Utilities must understand their specific threat landscape, vulnerabilities, and critical assets.
3. Implement Modern Security Architectures: Including segmentation of OT and IT environments, multi-factor authentication, and endpoint detection and response (EDR) systems.
4. Strengthen Incident Response Capabilities: Regularly updated response plans, threat simulations, and crisis communication strategies are essential.
5. Foster Cross-Sector Collaboration: Sharing threat intelligence and best practices across utilities, regulators, and cybersecurity experts is vital.

Conclusion
The water industry provides a service that is as critical as it is irreplaceable. As cyber threats evolve, so too must the resilience of our water infrastructure. Bolstering cybersecurity maturity is no longer optional, it is an urgent necessity to protect public health, economic stability, and national security.